Personality dimensions and substance use in individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2016.10.003Get rights and content

Highlights

  • We examined personality dimensions in substance use in individuals with MBID.

  • Anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity and sensation are related to severity of alcohol use.

  • Negative thinking and sensation seeking are related to severity of drug use.

  • Personality dimensions identify persons at increased risk for substance use disorders.

  • Personality dimensions are of relevance for selective substance use interventions.

Abstract

Aims

The aim of this study was to examine the role of the personality dimensions anxiety sensitivity, negative thinking, impulsivity and sensation seeking (as assessed by the revised version of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale; SURPS) in substance use in individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID).

Method

We tested the relationship between level of ID and SURPS personality dimensions and the relationship between SURPS personality dimensions and severity of alcohol and drug use. Participants were 118 persons (mean age 20.5 years) with a mean IQ of 71.1 admitted to care facilities for persons with MBID and severe behavioral problems.

Results

We found no significant relationship between level of ID and the four personality dimensions. In addition, findings showed that individuals with lower levels of anxiety sensitivity, higher levels of negative thinking, impulsivity and sensation seeking showed more severe alcohol use. Individuals with higher levels of negative thinking and sensation seeking had more severe drug use.

Conclusions and implications

The SURPS personality dimensions identify persons at increased risk for substance use disorders and might be useful in developing selective substance use interventions for individuals with MBID.

Section snippets

What this paper adds

Substance use is widespread among individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID) and it has a more negative impact on both mental and physical health compared with nondisabled peers. Nevertheless, risk factors for substance use (disorders) in this group are understudied and there is an urgent need to develop and/or adapt substance use interventions. This study was the first to examine the role of personality dimensions in the (severity of) substance use in individuals with

Participants and procedure

Data were collected at three Dutch facilities for individuals with MBID and severe behavioral problems. The facilities offer care and treatment including sheltered living, educational and/or work and leisure activities. For the purpose of data collection, we used self-report questionnaires and information from case files of the participants. Self-reports were collected with a web application of an interactive questionnaire with pictograms and images on a tablet computer. Questions were read out

Descriptive statistics of substance use

The majority of the participants had ever used alcohol, and also lifetime use of cannabis and hard drugs was common (see Table 1). The average AUDIT score was 6.8 (SD = 7.2) and the average DUDIT score was 4.6 (SD = 7.3). There were no significant differences in lifetime and current substance use between participants with mild ID (IQ score 51–69) and those with borderline ID (IQ 70–85). Moreover, mean AUDIT and DUDIT scores were also not significantly different between participants with mild ID and

Discussion

The aim of this study was to examine the role of the four SURPS personality dimensions in (severity of) substance use in a sample of individuals with MBID. First, results of our study show that personality dimensions were not different between individuals with mild ID and those with borderline ID (Table 1). Compared to mean SURPS personality dimension scores in studies in individuals without MBID (i.e., Castellanos-Ryan, O'Leary-Barrett, Sully & Conrod, 2013; Mackinnon et al., 2014, Malmberg et

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution to the data collection of Silvana Franssen, Sanne Mertens, Merel Punt, Anne Smeulders, Danique Vanhees and Madelein Vrieling.

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